Third Chances (Men Of Manhattan #2) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,113

he slowly slid out of me. I hated the empty feeling. I quickly wrapped my legs back around him, but that empty feeling remained. "I want someone to hold me close all night."

"I already told you I was a snuggler."

"No, I mean I want someone I can rely on. I don't like feeling vulnerable. Rob, we barely know each other. We don't even live in the same state."

"I'm not attached to anything in Newark. It took me a long time to realize it, but I think I stayed there because I was waiting. I think maybe I thought I could find happiness there like my brother did, you know? But my home is the city, it always has been. I want to move back. I need roots. I need a little more stability in my life. Honestly, what I need is you."

"I'm boring. And I'm pretty sure you realize that my stability is a very thin facade. I'm kind of a mess. And what we have is so crazy and fast and...

"Daphne, the best things in life are fast and crazy. And I like messy. Now how about you stop dwelling on all the little things and tell me what's really wrong. Tell me about how you're scared of loving me because you're scared of losing me. Because I know. I know how it feels to worry. I know how it feels to have a panic attack when you get a phone call in the middle of the night. I know how it feels to live in fear. I know."

I didn't try to hide my tears. "I thought I was never going to see you again."

"Daphne, I'm not going anywhere. And I don't make promises I don't intend to keep."

I pressed the side of my face against his chest. "I don't want to close myself off to love anymore."

"Me either." He grabbed my chin and tilted my face back up to his. "It's okay to be scared. It's okay to be upset. It's okay to hurt. I think maybe we met for a reason. I think maybe I'm supposed to help you with all that."

"And what do you get in return for helping me?"

He smiled. "You, the most beautiful girl I've ever met, inside and out. Now that I have my arms around you, I don't intend to let go."

"I've been waiting my whole life for you, Robert Hunter."

He laughed. "No one calls me Robert. Unless I'm in trouble."

"I have a feeling you're in trouble a lot."

"What? Rarely." He flashed me a smile. "We'll figure it all out, Daphne. Don't worry about the future. Let's just focus on right now. Speaking of which, how'd you like the shower?"

"I thought the water pressure was great."

He laughed.

"The company was even better."

"Is that right?" He placed a soft kiss against my lips. "I could stay here forever with you, but we need to get going."

"Where? I can't leave. It's Alina's bachelorette party."

"Why do you think I hooked their guys up with rooms here? By the way, your friends were terrible at getting you here. I was waiting here for like two hours. And Tim is a very interesting character."

I laughed. "You sent the guys here?" I thought about all the weird things Tim had said. He was just trying to make sure I went for a walk again. He was always strange, so I hadn't even been suspicious.

"Yeah. I didn't want your friends to be upset when I whisked you away."

"Whisked me away? Aren't we going back to the resort?"

"No. And we better get going before we miss our flight."

"I really can't just leave. They'll be worried about me."

"It's fine. The guys assured me that they'd make sure their women are properly entertained all week. Those were Tim's exact words I believe."

I laughed. "Yeah, that sounds like him."

"Come on. Let's learn to live and love together. We just have to be back for my brother's rehearsal dinner at the end of the week. I told them you'd have the filet at the wedding reception, prepared however the chef wanted, since you're so into trying new things recently."

"You want me to come to your brother's wedding?"

"He kind of already invited you. You've made quite the impression on my friends."

I smiled. "I'd love to come."

"Great. Now you just have to choose where we'll be flying to first: Venice, Paris, or Sydney. Take your pick."

"Aren't those some of the most romantic cities in the world?"

"It's the start of our love story, Daphne. Let's make it memorable."